Obese people find it hard to turn down cake.
Research has revealed that those with a higher body mass index (BMI) require a larger shift in brain activity to resist the temptation of a sweet snack.
A team from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, analysed the brain activity patterns of 123 participants who indicated what they would prefer to eat in numerous scenarios.
Analysis revealed that people with a lower BMI were more adept at regulating their diet as they only required small shifts in their brain states.
The experts said: “Over 18 per cent of the global adult population is projected to be obese by 2025, showcasing widespread difficulties in adopting healthy diets.
“We examined how brain states change when making natural and regulated dietary choices in an established food task.
“Individuals with lower weight status could successfully modify their eating behaviours while maintaining similar modes of brain activity.
“Individuals with higher weight status could not rely on this mechanism.”
